The Crown season 4 filming locations: Find out where the Netflix royal saga was shot

If you’re working your way through season four of The Crown, you’ll know that the story takes place in various locations across the UK and further afield.

As well as the Queen's many residences - Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Sandringham and Balmoral - her older children now have homes of their own.

Ahead of his marriage to Diana, Prince Charles has moved into his Gloucestershire pile at Highgrove and Princess Anne living with her young family down the road from her older brother at Gatcombe Park. 

It wouldn't be The Crown without a glamorous - if arduous - overseas tour, and season 4 takes us to New York, Australia and Princess Margaret's Carribean escape on Mustique.

However, all is not what it seems – as producers have had to use various stately homes and alternative locations to put together an authentic backdrop for the royal intrigue.

Find out what was filmed where with our handy guide.

Buckingham Palace

Producers used a variety of locations to form Buckingham Palace on screen. Many of the interior shots involving the entrance and staircases are shot in Lancaster House, which is very close to the real Buckingham Palace.

The scene with Diana (Emma Corrin) roller-skating through the Palace was filmed at Goldsmiths’ Hall in central London.

Other filming locations include Wilton House in Wiltshire, the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, the University of Greenwich, and Wrotham Park and Moor Park in Hertfordshire. Wrotham Park is used for scenes showing the Queen’s meetings with the Prime Minister. 

Elstree Studios was also used for some Buckingham Palace scenes.

Balmoral Castle

Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire is a key location in the series – it’s the backdrop for when Diana passes ‘the test’ with the royal family before Prince Charles proposes to her, and for a very awkward weekend as the Thatchers are invited to stay with the Royal Family.

As with every season of The Crown, Ardverikie House in the Scottish Highlands has been the stand-in for external filming, while Knebworth House in Hertfordshire and Hedsor House in Buckinghamshire were used for the interior.

10 Downing Street

As season four shows Margaret Thatcher’s frosty relationship with the Queen, Downing Street features fairly frequently.

The Prime Minister’s residence was filmed at Hedsor House, which was also used for Balmoral. 

New York

The scenes of Princess Diana's solo trip to New York were actually filmed in Manchester. A set was created in the middle of the city’s Northern Quarter, and they also filmed scenes at the John Rylands library on Deansgate, the University of Manchester and the former Free Trade Hall on Peter Street.

Australia

In episode six, Charles and Diana make their trip Down Under and visit locations like Uluru and Sydney Harbour – but these scenes were not filmed in Australia.

Interior scenes were shot at Australia House in London, while Sydney locations were shot in Malaga, Spain, the harbour backdrop being created digitally. Other outdoor scenes were filmed in Almeria, Spain, and the Uluru footage was then converted using visual effects technology. 

Mustique

The Mustique scenes featuring Princess Margaret’s villa were also filmed in southern Spain in the town of Atlanterra, Cadiz.

Highgrove House

Highgrove House – the country house of Charles and Diana, and currently the home of Charles and Camilla – was recreated at Somerley House in Hampshire. 

Kensington Palace, Sandringham House and Clarence House

The royal residences of Charles and Diana, the Queen and the Queen Mother were all recreated in stately homes or large old properties.

Harefield Grove in Uxbridge, Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire and Somerset boarding school Wellington College were all used for Kensington Palace (above).

Most of the Sandringham House scenes were filmed at Somerleyton Hall in East Anglia, while High Canons House in Hertfordshire was used for Clarence House.

Windsor Castle and Gatcombe Park

Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire and Burghley House, Lincolnshire, were used for Windsor Castle, and Wrotham Park – also used for some Buckingham Palace scenes – was used for Princess Anne’s home of Gatcombe Park.

Althorp

The Crown shows Prince Charles first meeting Diana at the Spencer family home of Althorp, although the idea that they first met when Diana was in costume for a school production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of the fictionalised aspects of the series.

Ragley Hall in Warwickshire was used for these scenes.